Upcoming master developments, residential communities and leisure facilities with a focus on sustainable design topped their categories at last night's (5 October 2010) Cityscape Awards for Architecture in the Emerging Markets.

Tabanlioglu Architects won the Community Built award for the Tripoli Congress Centre, designed to reflect its surrounds in the city's green zone. The glass structure is surrounded by a layer of metal mesh, which works in conjunction with the water features to keep heat out and reduce energy consumption.

"There's nothing like this in Libya today so it's leading a new wave of architecture in the country. Everything was inspired by the surroundings, from the trees to the colours in order that it sits in harmony with the area rather than imposing on it," said designer Melkan Gursel Tabanlioglu.

Henderson Waves, an elevated pedestrian bridge connecting Mount Faber Park to Telok Blangah Hill Park in Singapore won the Tourism, Travel and Transport Built Award, which Judge Peter Clarke, Councillor and Chair of the Planning Committee for Melbourne, Australia, said was "superb".

Alexander Maul, from the creators BRT Architects said: "We don't build buildings to win awards or please juries, we do it for out investors and key stakeholders. We try to build unique buildings that have an atmosphere and touch and spirit of the people so they can engage and feel comfortable."

Another big winner at the event, held at the Grand Hyatt Dubai hotel, was Turkey's Emre Arolat Architects (EAA), which won both the Leisure Built category for Mini City Model Park and the Residential Built category for its Maksimum Houses community project.

Yasemin Senar from EAA, said: "Istanbul is a very special place as it connects Europe and Asia plus we have to be sensitive to the environment. Our architectural vision is related to the city and how we can work with the surroundings to ensure harmony in our projects."

The Future project categories were led by the King Abdullah International Gardens in Saudi Arabia, named best Leisure Future project. The park is built around seven differently themed gardens, but all have the common threads of using solar power and recycled water.

Meanwhile, the architects and planners behind the Khawr Awqad Integrated Sustainable Lifestyle Destination in Salalah, Oman, hope its win in the Environmental category will provide the impetus needed to push the plans through. The scheme has been designed to transform a wetland area into a sustainable resort destination, with the inclusion of parks, water esplanades, a centre for eco-literacy, agricultural fields, and a botanical garden celebrating the native plants of the region.

"Our project puts great emphasis on the environment. We always aspire to create projects that respect and protect the land. It's a tangible project and I hope this award will encourage more sustainable design, particularly in public buildings," said Mussallam Said Al Amry, Chief Investment Officer of the Global Omani Development and Investment Company.

Elsewhere, futuristic designs also stood out. The Singapore Civic, Cultural and Retail Complex, a scheme incorporating a theatre, gallery outdoor cinema and F&B plaza won the Commercial / Mixed Use Future Award, while the West Kowloon Terminus in Hong Kong was named best Tourism, Travel & Transport Future for its "unique landform and public building design", said the judges.

"Most of the awards recognised sustainability and projects that exemplified exceptional architectural form. The West Kowloon Terminus is a fine example of that criteria," added Peter Clarke.

Rohan Marwaha, CEO of Cityscape, said: "While the last year has undoubtedly been challenging, commitment to deliver real value and quality products has been unwavering. These awards highlight the great strides being made throughout the emerging markets in architectural design."

The Cityscape Awards for Architecture in the Emerging Markets are held in conjunction with Cityscape Global. The flagship event of the world's largest business-to-business real estate investment and development brand is being held in Dubai for the ninth year and has evolved from Cityscape Dubai as a result of the increased international participation it has attracted. This year the event has attracted over 180 exhibitors with participants from more than a 100 different countries and 30,000 visitors are expected during the four-day show.